UNICEF partners NESG to tackle abuse, poverty in children

As part of efforts to end multidimensional poverty among children and the violation of their rights, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The partnership is a critical step towards a future where children’s rights are respected, and they receive the support they need to become productive citizens.

At the launch of the partnership in Abuja on Friday, the UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, said multidimensional poverty among children is more prevalent in rural communities than in urban areas.

Ms Munduate said that if action is not taken as a matter of urgency, poverty will remain for generations, creating an intergenerational cycle of poverty.

“Parents, families, and society must take care of children and the state must provide an environment for them to develop.

“Five out of every 10 children still face multidimensional poverty – lack of water, education, and nutrition, etc. As long as they lose this, they are poor,” he said.

Achieving the SDGs

Speaking at the event, the chairman of NESG, Niyi Yusuf, said children remain an important part of the mandate and urgent action is needed to ensure that they do the right thing to promote their development.

Mr. Yusuf noted that the MoU is intended to help Nigeria achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the areas of education, health, and other child rights issues.

He said: “From the perspective of Nigeria and NESG, our view is that children really represent the greatest asset for this country.

“We keep saying that our children are the leaders of tomorrow and it’s important that we invest and plant the seeds to ensure that these children are truly the leaders of tomorrow.”

He noted that in the Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) released in 2022, two-thirds of Nigerian children are multidimensionally poor, as they lack access to health, education, and income.

The NESG chairman noted that more than 50 percent of children from poor families have poor early childhood development.

“This means that more than half of poor children do not have the intellectual stimulation needed for early childhood development,” he said.

“So, if a child suffers from negative growth in early childhood, you are creating a poor foundation for tomorrow.”

Mr. Yusuf said the partnership with UNICEF is timely and important because “the agency is a leading provider of humanitarian and development aid to children around the world.”

Partnerships matter

On her part, the UNICEF country representative said that the partnership is in line with the organization’s commitment to protect children’s rights.

He said UNICEF is dedicated to protecting the rights of children around the world and helping them build a strong foundation for their future.

“Our partnership with NESG highlights the urgency of achieving this goal and will coordinate efforts to achieve the protection of children’s rights in Nigeria through effective public policies,” he said.

He says the big investment in children is the investment in human capital. According to Ms Munduate, proper nutrition and care, especially during the first 1,000 days of life, can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn, and get out of poverty.

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“This can break the cycle of poverty for families, communities, and countries, and shape the long-term stability and prosperity of society,” he said.

The UNICEF representative noted that the partnership will focus on aligning the country’s poverty reduction strategy with the child and national multidimensional poverty index.